St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod (XI century) (Ксения Володичева)
Our tour in Russia will start from the great place called St. Sophia Cathedral, which is located in the grounds of the Great Novgorod Kremlin - is the most ancient religious building in Russia.
In 988 AD, Prince Vladimir decided that the kingdom of Kievan Rus should move away from paganism to Christianity under the Byzantine tradition. At this time all pagan idols within Kievan Rus became forbidden. By 1045 AD, construction of the first Christian cathedral began. The design of the cathedral was meant to resemble the main Orthodox Church in Constantinople. The cathedral was named St Sophia from the ancient Greek for 'wisdom'.
For nearly 10 centuries, the religious and civil life of Great Novgorod has been connected with the cathedral.
Nowadays, in St. Sophia Cathedral you can still see frescoes from the eleventh and twelfth centuries and religious icons and artifacts dating from the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries, as well as other Byzantine and Western European object of art. Since 1991 the cathedral has played host to one of the more important Russian national relics — the icon of 'Our Lady of the Sign'.
Yasnaya Polyana/Bright glade in Tula (XIX century) (Полина Старцева) Let’s visit the great place in Tula – Yasnaya polyana/Bright glade that was the home of the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, who wrote the most famous novels named "War and piece” and “Anna Karenina”. This museum contains Tolstoy's personal effects and movables, as well as his library of 22,000 volumes. The museum contains the writer's mansion, the school he founded for peasant children and a park where Tolstoy's grave is situated.
Kulikovo field in Tula region (XIV century). (Наталия Гребёнкина) We are going to visit Kulikovo field in Tula region, where the famous Battle of Kulikovo took place on September 8 in 1380. The battlefield is located between the rivers of Nepryadva,Krasivaya Mecha and Don some 140 km away from Tula. Today, Kulikovo Field is home to a museum complex, which includes a 28-metre column on Red Hill, built in 1848-1850, and a memorial church in honour of Sergoius of Radonezh, which is now the Kulikovo Field Museum that we will visit surely!Also, there is a stone church in the nearby settlement of Monastyrshchino (Монастырщино), where, according to a legend, the fallen Russian soldiers were interred after the battle. The Kremlin in Moscow (XV century) (Екатерина Зайцева)
Of course, we won’t forget to visit Moscow, the capital of Russia. You will see the Kremlin, cultural and historical centre of Russia. The Kremlin (Kreml) is an iconic symbol of Russian statehood and forms the seat of its political power. Characterised by colourful domes and opulent buildings, this vast triangular shaped complex, together known as The Kremlin, spans an area of around 28 hectares and includes several beautiful palaces, numerous churches and even armouries and a medieval fortress.
The great cathedral of Dormition in Moscow (XV century) (Роза Жукова)
The great place for tourists is the Dormition Cathedral. It is the mother church of the Church of Russia. The church stands on the Cathedral Square in the Kremlin of Moscow. It was built between 1475 and 1479 by the Italian architect Aristoele Fioravanti di Rodolfo. The present day Dormition Cathedral had it origins in the fourteenth century when Prince Ivan I (Kalita - moneybags) of Moscow had the first Dormition cathedral built in 1327 as the seat of Metropolitan Peter, who was Metropolitan of Kiev. Metr. Peter had first moved his seat from de-populated Kiev to Vladimir and then, in 1326, to Moscow. Ivan I’s cathedral, with a single dome, was built on Borovitsky Hill, part of what now is the Moscow Kremlin, and was the first masonry building in Moscow.
St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow (XVI century) (Виолетта Коннова)
Other destination in our tour is St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, which was built by Ivan the Terrible between 1555 and 1561. According to legend, the builder of this cathedral was blinded so that such a beautiful structure could never be built again. The cathedral is vividly colorful and contains redbrick towers that add to its beauty. The church’s design consists of nine chapels, each mounted with its individual dome that marks the assault on the city of Kazan.
The design of St. Basil’s Cathedral provides strong religious symbolism and is based on architectural designs found in Jerusalem. Eight of the domes make a circular formation around the ninth dome, which looks like a star when viewed from the top. There is a deep contrast between the interior and the exterior of the St. Basil’s Cathedral. The interior contains modest decorations and the corridors are narrow, leaving little space for seating worshippers.
Several times throughout its history, this cathedral has suffered damage due to fires, looting, and other incidents. In one legend, the French ruler Napoleon even wanted to take St. Basil’s Cathedral back to France with him, but due to the lack of such technology, he ordered his army to destroy it so that no one else could occupy it. His army had prepared to attack the church and had also lit up the gunpowder, but a mysterious rain shower prevented any explosions from occurring.
Lenin’s Mausoleum in Moscow (XX century) (Диана Шеламова)
Next place to visit is Lenin’s Mausoleum. Vladimir Lenin - one of Russia’s most famous and ruthless leaders. Lenin’s Mausoleum borders Moscow’s Red Square. Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov was born on 22 April 1870. He was a member of the Bolshevik division of Russia’s Social Democratic Workers’ Party. A revolutionary thinker and philosopher Lenin became the leader of the Bolshevik party before ascending to power as the first head of state of Soviet Russia as part of a coup d’état known as the October Revolution of 1917.
Bolshoi/Big Theatre in Moscow (XVIII century) (Антонина Ожерельева)
We’ll visit Bolshoi Theatre or Russian Bolshoy Teatr, which is leading theatre company for ballet and opera in Russia. The original group, which was made up of several smaller troupes, was organized in Moscow in the mid-1770s, performing primarily at the mansion of Count R.I. Vorontsov. In 1780 the first permanent theatre building in Moscow was opened as the company’s home, but it burned in 1805. A year later the Bolshoi Theatre was made a government institution, and a new building was opened in 1825. It, too, was destroyed by fire, in 1853, but it was rebuilt and enlarged in 1856 to accommodate an audience of more than 2,000. By the end of the 19th century the Bolshoi’s operatic and ballet productions of Russian and other European works were influencing the performing arts throughout the Western world. In 1924 a smaller auditorium was added to the theatre complex, and in 1961 the Kremlin Palace of Congresses, with a capacity of about 6,000, was acquired as a third performing space for bigger productions.
The company was kept intact during the Russian Revolution of 1917, both world wars, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1990–91. Since the mid-1950s the opera and ballet troupes have traveled extensively.
Peterhof in Saint-Petersburg (XVIII century) (Эльвира Минниханова)
We will have a great time in one of the tour’s destinations - Peterhof (Dutch "Peterhof", "Peter's court")! It is a palace and park ensemble on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland at a distance of 29 km from St.-Petersburg. Peterhof is located in the territory of the town of Peterhof.
It is considered that Peterhof, or "Northern Versailles", how it is named sometimes, was established in May, 1714 when civil engineering works were begun. Actually Peterhof is more than 300. On September 13th, 1705 the tsar Peter the First chose Peterhof as a vacation spot during his sail sing. The vessel "Munker" stopped at anchor; Peter looked around and thought that he wished to have splendid rest there at any time. So, the tsar continued his thought, his grand residence should be the grandest in Europe and even Versailles should be thrown into the shade.
This desire of the great emperor would be executed - like other wishes of his"Northern Versailles" was constructed and reconstructed for almost 200 years; the union of architecture, sculpture, water and landscape was brought into a state of perfection.
Fountains of Peterhof are its organic part. The day of their birth - August 15th - is considered now Peterhof'sBirthday.
To describe fountains is meaningless; you should see them. These thousand water fireworks are scattered on 21 hectares of the park. Having seen them, you will hardly believe that all the system - 3 cascades and 150 fountains - works to the present day without any pump. It is the miracle of Peterhof. State Hermitage Museum in Saint-Petersburg (XVIII century) (Анастасия Семеева) St. Petersburg's Hermitage Museum isn't merely a storehouse for historical artworks; Many years ago the gallery was belong to the Queen Ekaterine II. It expanded gradually and then became the most recognisable place in the whole world. The building itself merits a visit. Occupying one wing of the Winter Palace, the galleries hold the extensive collections of generations of Romanov tsars, from Impressionist works to Egyptian artifacts. Mamayev Hill in Volgograd( XX century) (Валерия Тюрина)
At final day our place for visiting will be the Mamayev Hill or “Mamayev Kurgan” in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad). It is a memorial complex dedicated to the Battle of Stalingrad. This battle was considered to be a defining moment in World War II in which the Russians defeated German forces, turning the tide of the war and starting a chain of events which would lead to the downfall of the Axis powers.
So we will see a great sightseeing - 300-foot statue entitled “The Motherland Calls”.
Also several other sculptures dot the Mamayev Hill memorial complex, which includes the graves of over 600 soldiers.
Our tour in Russia will start from the great place called St. Sophia Cathedral, which is located in the grounds of the Great Novgorod Kremlin - is the most ancient religious building in Russia.
In 988 AD, Prince Vladimir decided that the kingdom of Kievan Rus should move away from paganism to Christianity under the Byzantine tradition. At this time all pagan idols within Kievan Rus became forbidden. By 1045 AD, construction of the first Christian cathedral began. The design of the cathedral was meant to resemble the main Orthodox Church in Constantinople. The cathedral was named St Sophia from the ancient Greek for 'wisdom'.
For nearly 10 centuries, the religious and civil life of Great Novgorod has been connected with the cathedral.
Nowadays, in St. Sophia Cathedral you can still see frescoes from the eleventh and twelfth centuries and religious icons and artifacts dating from the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries, as well as other Byzantine and Western European object of art. Since 1991 the cathedral has played host to one of the more important Russian national relics — the icon of 'Our Lady of the Sign'.
Yasnaya Polyana/Bright glade in Tula (XIX century) (Полина Старцева)
Let’s visit the great place in Tula – Yasnaya polyana/Bright glade that was the home of the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, who wrote the most famous novels named "War and piece” and “Anna Karenina”. This museum contains Tolstoy's personal effects and movables, as well as his library of 22,000 volumes. The museum contains the writer's mansion, the school he founded for peasant children and a park where Tolstoy's grave is situated.
Kulikovo field in Tula region (XIV century). (Наталия Гребёнкина)
We are going to visit Kulikovo field in Tula region, where the famous Battle of Kulikovo took place on September 8 in 1380.
The battlefield is located between the rivers of Nepryadva,Krasivaya Mecha and Don some 140 km away from Tula.
Today, Kulikovo Field is home to a museum complex, which includes a 28-metre column on Red Hill, built in 1848-1850, and a memorial church in honour of Sergoius of Radonezh, which is now the Kulikovo Field Museum that we will visit surely!Also, there is a stone church in the nearby settlement of Monastyrshchino (Монастырщино), where, according to a legend, the fallen Russian soldiers were interred after the battle.
The Kremlin in Moscow (XV century) (Екатерина Зайцева)
Of course, we won’t forget to visit Moscow, the capital of Russia. You will see the Kremlin, cultural and historical centre of Russia. The Kremlin (Kreml) is an iconic symbol of Russian statehood and forms the seat of its political power. Characterised by colourful domes and opulent buildings, this vast triangular shaped complex, together known as The Kremlin, spans an area of around 28 hectares and includes several beautiful palaces, numerous churches and even armouries and a medieval fortress.
The great cathedral of Dormition in Moscow (XV century) (Роза Жукова)
The great place for tourists is the Dormition Cathedral. It is the mother church of the Church of Russia. The church stands on the Cathedral Square in the Kremlin of Moscow. It was built between 1475 and 1479 by the Italian architect Aristoele Fioravanti di Rodolfo. The present day Dormition Cathedral had it origins in the fourteenth century when Prince Ivan I (Kalita - moneybags) of Moscow had the first Dormition cathedral built in 1327 as the seat of Metropolitan Peter, who was Metropolitan of Kiev. Metr. Peter had first moved his seat from de-populated Kiev to Vladimir and then, in 1326, to Moscow. Ivan I’s cathedral, with a single dome, was built on Borovitsky Hill, part of what now is the Moscow Kremlin, and was the first masonry building in Moscow.
St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow (XVI century) (Виолетта Коннова)
Other destination in our tour is St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, which was built by Ivan the Terrible between 1555 and 1561. According to legend, the builder of this cathedral was blinded so that such a beautiful structure could never be built again. The cathedral is vividly colorful and contains redbrick towers that add to its beauty. The church’s design consists of nine chapels, each mounted with its individual dome that marks the assault on the city of Kazan.
The design of St. Basil’s Cathedral provides strong religious symbolism and is based on architectural designs found in Jerusalem. Eight of the domes make a circular formation around the ninth dome, which looks like a star when viewed from the top. There is a deep contrast between the interior and the exterior of the St. Basil’s Cathedral. The interior contains modest decorations and the corridors are narrow, leaving little space for seating worshippers.
Several times throughout its history, this cathedral has suffered damage due to fires, looting, and other incidents. In one legend, the French ruler Napoleon even wanted to take St. Basil’s Cathedral back to France with him, but due to the lack of such technology, he ordered his army to destroy it so that no one else could occupy it. His army had prepared to attack the church and had also lit up the gunpowder, but a mysterious rain shower prevented any explosions from occurring.
Lenin’s Mausoleum in Moscow (XX century) (Диана Шеламова)
Next place to visit is Lenin’s Mausoleum. Vladimir Lenin - one of Russia’s most famous and ruthless leaders. Lenin’s Mausoleum borders Moscow’s Red Square. Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov was born on 22 April 1870. He was a member of the Bolshevik division of Russia’s Social Democratic Workers’ Party. A revolutionary thinker and philosopher Lenin became the leader of the Bolshevik party before ascending to power as the first head of state of Soviet Russia as part of a coup d’état known as the October Revolution of 1917.
Bolshoi/Big Theatre in Moscow (XVIII century) (Антонина Ожерельева)
We’ll visit Bolshoi Theatre or Russian Bolshoy Teatr, which is leading theatre company for ballet and opera in Russia. The original group, which was made up of several smaller troupes, was organized in Moscow in the mid-1770s, performing primarily at the mansion of Count R.I. Vorontsov. In 1780 the first permanent theatre building in Moscow was opened as the company’s home, but it burned in 1805. A year later the Bolshoi Theatre was made a government institution, and a new building was opened in 1825. It, too, was destroyed by fire, in 1853, but it was rebuilt and enlarged in 1856 to accommodate an audience of more than 2,000. By the end of the 19th century the Bolshoi’s operatic and ballet productions of Russian and other European works were influencing the performing arts throughout the Western world. In 1924 a smaller auditorium was added to the theatre complex, and in 1961 the Kremlin Palace of Congresses, with a capacity of about 6,000, was acquired as a third performing space for bigger productions.
The company was kept intact during the Russian Revolution of 1917, both world wars, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1990–91. Since the mid-1950s the opera and ballet troupes have traveled extensively.
Peterhof in Saint-Petersburg (XVIII century) (Эльвира Минниханова)
We will have a great time in one of the tour’s destinations - Peterhof (Dutch "Peterhof", "Peter's court")! It is a palace and park ensemble on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland at a distance of 29 km from St.-Petersburg. Peterhof is located in the territory of the town of Peterhof.
It is considered that Peterhof, or "Northern Versailles", how it is named sometimes, was established in May, 1714 when civil engineering works were begun. Actually Peterhof is more than 300. On September 13th, 1705 the tsar Peter the First chose Peterhof as a vacation spot during his sail sing. The vessel "Munker" stopped at anchor; Peter looked around and thought that he wished to have splendid rest there at any time. So, the tsar continued his thought, his grand residence should be the grandest in Europe and even Versailles should be thrown into the shade.
This desire of the great emperor would be executed - like other wishes of his"Northern Versailles" was constructed and reconstructed for almost 200 years; the union of architecture, sculpture, water and landscape was brought into a state of perfection.
Fountains of Peterhof are its organic part. The day of their birth - August 15th - is considered now Peterhof'sBirthday.
To describe fountains is meaningless; you should see them. These thousand water fireworks are scattered on 21 hectares of the park. Having seen them, you will hardly believe that all the system - 3 cascades and 150 fountains - works to the present day without any pump. It is the miracle of Peterhof.
State Hermitage Museum in Saint-Petersburg (XVIII century) (Анастасия Семеева)
St. Petersburg's Hermitage Museum isn't merely a storehouse for historical artworks; Many years ago the gallery was belong to the Queen Ekaterine II. It expanded gradually and then became the most recognisable place in the whole world. The building itself merits a visit. Occupying one wing of the Winter Palace, the galleries hold the extensive collections of generations of Romanov tsars, from Impressionist works to Egyptian artifacts.
Mamayev Hill in Volgograd( XX century) (Валерия Тюрина)
At final day our place for visiting will be the Mamayev Hill or “Mamayev Kurgan” in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad). It is a memorial complex dedicated to the Battle of Stalingrad. This battle was considered to be a defining moment in World War II in which the Russians defeated German forces, turning the tide of the war and starting a chain of events which would lead to the downfall of the Axis powers.
So we will see a great sightseeing - 300-foot statue entitled “The Motherland Calls”.
Also several other sculptures dot the Mamayev Hill memorial complex, which includes the graves of over 600 soldiers.